


Gratitude

by Ford_Ye_Fiji



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: AU, Angst, Except Stan and Ford, Focuses on memory loss, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, NOT SAD, Sad, Stanley's thoughts, Very brief everybody
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-27
Updated: 2016-07-27
Packaged: 2018-07-27 04:12:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7602946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ford_Ye_Fiji/pseuds/Ford_Ye_Fiji
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gratitude     | 'grade,t(y)ōōd |<br/>(noun)<br/>The quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for or to return kindness.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gratitude

**Author's Note:**

> Journals three is amazing guys! Buy it twice! 
> 
> That's all I'm going to say on the matter, though, this is a spoiler free zone! :D Oh, and the Cipherhunt is amazing! Once again this fic is in honor of that hunt. (Though it has nothing to do with it.)

He sits there as words spin around and the colors flash and memories pour- loud and overwhelming. At least the chaos is sorted eventually. At the end of the day, he manages and gradually comes to associate faces with names and pigs with annoyance.

Slowly he learns things. Well, _recalls_ them.

Mabel is bright and creative. She's glittery rainbows and abstract macaroni art. Sweaters with impossible designs and screaming as _omigosh, Ducktective has a secret bro-bro too?!_

Dipper is small and _he will fight you._ (Stan is oddly proud of that.) He also gnaws on pens like there's no tomorrow. He mutters under his breath and sweats and scribbles in notepads.

Soos is question marks and happiness. He associates him with red screwdrivers and earnest eyes and grudging ice cream cones ( _not grudging- more doting, who is he kidding_ ). Soos is also clumsy attempts at fixing things that only end in a bigger mess.

Wendy is laid back and anxiety. She has managed to somehow be casual and flannel and almost sleepy while at the same time a rolling mass of stress. He knows he pretended that he didn't know and that he didn't help her. (He still does.)

And Stanford?

Ford is a nerdy mystery wrapped in a burgundy sweater and a dramatic trenchcoat.

Sometimes he gets flashes, a smile, a boat... a grainy sun, the sand, and glittering blurred waves. Even these glimpses are muddled, as if he were viewing them through dirty glass.

Stan tries not to notice Ford downcast expression when he remembers and laughs about the summer and the town. No coherent memory is ever about Stanford though. Stan _knows_ that's wrong. He knows it is. Ford is his brother and he should remember him. He feels guilty, not recalling anything.

The guilt feels heavy and strangely familiar... normal. Like something that's been there his entire life.

The guilt is there whenever he calls him Stanford and his twin flinches. Stan tries calling him Ford like the younger set of twins do. It doesn't help. It's like there's some name or label he's missing.

But suddenly it's September first and the twins head home and Stan is stuck in a house with his brother who he doesn't know. Stan avoids Ford. He doesn't know what else to do.

Soos asks about it. He knows somethings going on. All that comes out is, "Eh, the house is just hot. Guess the heat is finally catching up to us? Huh. It's suffocating, that's all."

Soos shrugs and leaves as Stan freezes.

 _Suffocating_.

It's someone else's voice saying that. He knows it's Fords.

 _Suffocating_.

Stan rather wishes whatever happened with that word, he never recalls. He doesn't want to know... and yet he does. He has a burning desire to find out what he's missing.

It isn't until Ford stands in front of him, all nervous glances and fidgeting fingers, that he remembers.

Ford hands him a picture while scratching his hand and tapping his foot.

Stanford has too many tells. Whatever the picture is of, it's giving him anxiety. On the picture is a boat, and on the boat is two children.

Ford explaining haltingly about the picture and what is he proposing.

" _And see I thought we could get a boat and go sailing, just like we dreamed about as kids. I need someone to explore the world with me and I'd like it to be you, Stanley. I don't want it to be anybody else. And I just- this isn't just some way of thanking you, this isn't something I feel like I'm obligated to do... I want to do it. I've missed you. I've missed you a lot._ "

In the end it's not the picture that's the key. No, that's just the doorway. " _What I'm trying to say is..._ " The key is when Ford smiles a shy half smile and holds out a six fingered hand with affection as he says, "Just... Thank you. Thank you for _everything_. _Thank you, Stan_."

He is crying and he... He _finally knows why_. He pulls Ford into a tight hug and he's shaking as he says gruffly, "It's about time, Sixer."

He can feel his brother smiling against his shoulder.

And in that moment, Stan is truly and fully back.


End file.
